Headaches on the Orient Express
by scifinerd4lyfe
Summary: An exploration of how the energy transfer of Maisie's mental state in "Mummy on the Orient Express" affects the Doctor. (Because it was a great episode and I thought it warranted more! It's got to be more than just a twinge of discomfort, I'm guessing). Enjoy! Ch. 3 up soon!
1. Chapter 1: The energy transference

Maisie screamed as she saw the approaching mummy—the oncoming omen of death shrouded in layered, beige, rotting bandages.

She couldn't breathe properly, and her panic came up and clenched her heart, fear gripping her insides.

Clara was beyond enraged. How _dare_ the Doctor bring her into this? Into his games? Make her lie and give hope to an innocent girl whose death was inevitable. She couldn't even look at the man.

Maisie felt a presence behind her, but was too terrified to look at anything other than the mummy.

But suddenly there was another person in her view, blocking the fearsome creature.

It was the Doctor.

The Doctor tried not to ignore Clara's eyerolls at him, and instead brought the energy instrument up and in front of Maisie's face.

"Focus!" he told her, realizing he needed to listen as well, try to ignore Clara's incessant lack of understanding, her refusal to admit that what he did was save people—no matter the cost or the processes it took.

Maisie was still distracted, terrified. The Doctor said again,"Focus! focus!"

Her eyes moved with extreme effort to face him instead of the creature.

"What's that?" she said uncertainly.

The instrument was blinking blue.

"All of that," the Doctor explained hurriedly, "is your grief, your trauma, your resentment."

Maisie still didn't understand. The Doctor clicked the remote.

"And now, it's mine!" and held it to his head, pressing the button. He gave a little gasp as the energy transfer began. He flinched and screwed his eyes shut, pressing his hand to his temple and stumbling back. Bright, clear beams moved their way up and down his face and his skin, transferring the energy from Maisie into him.

"Doctor!" Clara shouted. "What've you done?"

He waved her off, his other hand still clenched to his head, leaning against the counter.

He gave a short, gruff groan.

"Just gimme a minute."

"It's gone!" Maisie said, relieved.

The Doctor snorted. "No it's not. Because now it thinks I'm you."

Clara shook her head. "Now what are you gonna do? You can't stop it!"

The Doctor snorted again, still hunched over as the light beams left his skin, the transference complete, the pain still there. Of course _now_ Clara would be worried about him.

It's all _selfish selfish selfish doctor_ until something happens, isn't it? He thought. His head pulsed, his entire brain feeling squished and pummeled.

The Doctor stood up straight again, eyes strained, face paler than usual. His fierce eyebrows were raised, and he glanced at Clara. "Thanks for the confidence."

Suddenly the lights blinked and the Doctor looked up.

It was beginning again.

"Start the clock!" he said to Perkins, grinning at the engineer. The Doctor, suddenly excited for what was about to happen, tried his best to keep the oncoming sharp stabs of pain in his head at bay. He knew taking that girl's mental state wasn't going to be fun.

He grimaced and his hand flew to his forehead again, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Doctor," Clara started uncertainly. "Are you okay?"

"I can do this," he said quietly, not really to anyone else in the room but to himself, it seemed.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he turned.

There it was.

He squinted his eyes again, the bushy mad eyebrows coming to a point and making him look vicious. He was in pain, though.

He stepped forward, ignoring the distractions as best he could, ready to meet his match. 

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**Stay tuned for chapter 2! Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2: The escape

"At last!" came the strained but excited voice of the grey-haired, crazy-eyed Scottish man in the room. "I can finally see you!"

The Doctor wobbled a bit on his feet, catching himself on a nearby chair as he faced the mummy.

"Doctor-" came an uncertain voice from behind him. Clara was worried that the energy transference would hinder his ability to defeat the mummy.

"Just a stumble!" the Doctor assured her as he straightened himself, clearing his throat.

The blonde young woman standing next to Clara was wringing her hands, still terrified of what she had seen yet nonetheless relieved that she could no longer see it.

"Maisie, the Doctor's on it!" Clara told the startled, 20s-era clad woman.

"I know, I know. It's just...what's he done?" she asked, breathless. "How'd he do that? What's wrong with him?"

Clara looked at the Doctor as he gleefully made his way to an invisible creature that she couldn't see herself. She swallowed.

"If he says he can fix it, then he can fix it." she nodded her head and gave Maisie a small smile.

The two women turned to watch the Doctor.

"Are you my mummy?" he said cheekily, his Scottish drawl causing an enunciation on the last word. Clara rolled her eyes. Even if he was in pain and facing something that could kill him in 66 seconds, he still had to act the idiot.

He hissed and clasped his hands to his temple.

"Ooo, you really did hate your Gran, didn't you?" he motioned to Maisie.

Clara's blood turned cold. Whatever the Doctor had done to alleviate Maisie was now messing with him.

Maisie's mouth dropped and she stared. "How does he know that?" she asked, dumbfounded. Clara could do nothing but shake her head in wonder.

The Doctor kept on going, though. He straightened up, heading towards the direction of the creature, its left foot dragging over the floor as it crept to the tall skinny man commanding attention in the room.

"Doctor, are you sure you're alright?" said a voice in the back. Perkins was staring quizzically at the Doctor, arms folded over his chest as if studying a specimen.

"The next person," the Doctor said annoyed, "who asks if I'm alright is getting an energy transference!" he finished abruptly.

"Doctor, focus!" Clara warned sternly. "Only 38 seconds left!"

"Right." The Doctor stared at the invisible thing, as if through a microscope.

"Markings!" he yelled suddenly, causing both Clara and Maisie to jump. The Doctor turned suddenly and bounded back towards them. Clara could see he was sweating profusely, something she rarely saw him do even though-despite how old he looked-his physical health always seemed in peak condition, to her great and utter annoyance.

He blew past them and stared at the piece of ancient scroll on the wall.

"The same markings."

"15 seconds," came Perkins' voice.

"On the wall and on the mummy. Which means," his voice rose as if in a slight panic. He only had 8 seconds left. "That this is a flag. And if this is a flag, then you're a soldier!"

"Doctor! 5 seconds!" Clara said, panicking properly now. She found herself gripping Maisie's hand, a lifeline in this moment of distress.

"We surrender!" the Doctor yelled, back against the wall, eyes wide.

A tall, menacing, bandaged and decaying creature suddenly appeared in Clara's view, and Maisie gasped.

"I can see it again!"

"Don't worry," Clara said soothingly. "I think we all can."

"Trapped, in a long forgotten war. You're relieved, soldier," the Doctor said, sounding tired.

"He's not the only one," added Perkins.

To Clara's great surprise, the creature gave a salute to the Doctor and vanished. The Doctor said nothing about the salute, which Clara found suspicious, as he loathed being saluted. Maybe he was as exhausted as he sounded.

"Is that it, then?" Clara asked, walking towards the Doctor.

"Yep. He's gone now."

"So we can go now?" asked Perkins.

"Gus?" the Doctor asked the air, uncertainly.

The computerized voice came through, "Thank you so much for your efforts. They are greatly appreciated."

Clara clapped her hands. "Doctor, you've done it!"

The Doctor didn't look so convinced. He started to fiddle with the sonic.

"Unfortunately," Gus continued, "survivors of this exercise are not required."

The Doctor breathed out, closing his eyes for a moment. He brought his hand to the bridge of his nose and huffed sarcastically. "Ohhh, well there's a shocker," he said, with an affronted tone. This was beginning to feel like one long day.

He moved towards the computer, waving his sonic manically and typing away with his other hand.

"Air will now be removed from the entire train," added Gus.

Clara instantly began to panic.

"Doctor! I take it you know a way out?" she rushed to his side, wanting to help but already feeling lightheaded. Maisie had fainted already, and Perkins collapsed on the floor.

"My enemy's enemy is my friend, especially when he's got a built-in teleport!" the Doctor said, gasping. Normally he wouldn't be so quickly affected by thinning air supply, but he couldn't deny to himself that the energy transference had hindered him more than he cared to let on.

"Great!" Clara was wobbling on her feet now. But she knew the Doctor worked best when he had someone to shout his ideas out to. And he wasn't looking too keen on his feet either. His face was pale and his skin gaunt looking. His eyes looked strained and his hands shook a little.

"Doctor, what do you need?" Clara grasped onto his arm. She was barely on her feet now.

The Doctor paused his typing and brought his hand up to his head, groaning.

"Blast, this silly headache!" he hissed, distracted.

He felt the grip on his arm becoming slack, and Clara fell to the floor, out cold.

His two hearts felt like ice.

_Got to save Clara_, he mumbled to himself. His hands fiddled once more with the computer, pressed the final button and the familiar pull of a teleport grabbed his body. He had only just breathed a sigh of relief upon entering the air-filled TARDIS along with the rest of the crew when his head felt like it exploded.

He clasped his hands to the sides of his head and fell to the floor, gasping. Everyone else was passed out. There was no one left to help him. He felt his vision go wobbly, and with his last breath he gasped to the TARDIS "Help."

As his world went black he heard the comforting sound of the wurring engines and hoped for Clara's sake that they were headed somewhere safe.

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**Thanks for reading! Keep a lookout for chapter 3! Hit me up with a review if you're feeling generous!**

**Also who else LOVES that booming 12th Doctor theme when he goes to make the energy transfer in the episode? Great orchestra sounds. *Excitement***


End file.
